In spring 2017, Robert Paylor seemed to be living a charmed life – starting for America’s top rugby programme, competing for a national championship for UC Berkeley, and on track for achieving a degree in business with an internship with Intel lined up for the summer. Few could have imagined that an illegal tackle during that year’s final would shatter his spine – and leave him instantly paralysed from the neck down.

Doctors told him he’d never walk again. That he’d be lucky to feed himself. That his athletic future – and his life as he knew it – was over.

But Robert had other ideas. An extraordinary man with an extraordinary story.

Here is Robert's Crisis Compass.

Robert Paylor was living the dream - a star rugby player at UC Berkeley competing for a national championship with his future mapped out perfectly. Then an illegal tackle shattered his spine and left him paralysed from the neck down.

Doctors told him he'd never so much as lift a piece of pizza to his mouth – let alone walk or play sport – that’s if he even survived the surgery. But Robert has a uniquely unbreakable mindset, and defied every medical prediction.

Today he walks with support, is married to the love of his life, and has a baby on the way. This is a masterclass not only in perseverance and grit but in how to turn life’s most tragic moments into your greatest purpose. Paylor is proof that how we respond to crisis matters far more than the crisis itself.

Five lessons you'll learn:

Control your mindset, not your circumstances. You can't control what happens to you, but you always have complete control over your response. Your positivity and willingness to fight is entirely up to you.

Seek discomfort before crisis hits. Don't wait for life to become challenging before you start challenging yourself. Build your resilient foundation when times are good so you can stand stronger when storms come.

Forgiveness is for you, not them. Holding onto anger and hate only hurts yourself. Forgiveness isn't about relieving guilt from those who wronged you - it's about removing negative attachments from your own life.

Reward effort over accomplishment. When going through adversity, focus on the work you're putting in rather than just the results you're achieving. Effort is the one thing you can always control.

Use perspective as your superpower. When struggling, ask yourself "compared to what?" Look at those who have less rather than those who seemingly have more. Healthy comparison is the key to happiness and reframes every challenge.

In this episode recorded in 2024 and republished to mark World Suicide Prevention Day 2025, Andy is joined by three remarkable men, Andy Airey, Mike Palmer and Tim Owen – better known as Three Dads Walking. All would rather have never met but through a common and tragic bond – the loss of their daughters, Sophie, Beth and Emily, to suicide – they did.  

Brought together by a shared grief, these three dads connected and decided to shine a light on the shocking number of young people who take their own lives in the UK.  

A 300-mile walk between their homes in Cumbria, Manchester, and Norfolk in 2021 was their first epic venture. A 600-mile walk then followed, and another is planned for this year. So far, over £1m has been raised for the incredible suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS.  

Their book – 3 Dads Walking, 300 Miles of Hope - tells the story of the courage and hope they’ve found on those walks. It is out now.  

Five lessons you'll learn

The Healing Power of Nature and the therapeutic benefits of spending time outdoors. How immersing oneself in nature's beauty can provide solace and clarity during challenging times.

The Importance of Reaching Out. Whether through friends, family, or professionals, acknowledging the need for help and being open to it is crucial for healing.

Finding Comfort in Work and Routine While grief can disrupt daily life, returning to work or familiar routines can offer a sense of normalcy and purpose.

The Role of Work in Recovery. While returning to work can be beneficial, it isn't an immediate comfort. The Dad's experience underscores the importance of understanding and support in the workplace for those grieving.

The Unwavering Support of Pets. Pets can provide unconditional companionship and encourage individuals to stay active and engaged, even during the darkest times.

Please remember - if you, or anyone you know is having or have had suicidal thoughts, you can reach out to Papyrus UK suicide prevention on 0800 068 4141.

Links 

Three Dads Walking: 300 Miles of Hopehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Dads-Walking-Miles-Hope/dp/1472148444

3 Dads Walking

PAPYRUS

Papyrus has been campaigning for a suicide-safer internet for nearly twenty years. Do you want to ensure technology companies are held accountable for the safety of users on their platforms?

Download their draft letter to send to your local MP here: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/online-safety-bill-write-to-your-mp/

Send your letter to your MP here: https://www.writetothem.com/

Stream/buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm

Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk

Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682

Host – Andy Coulson   

CWC team: Jane Sankey, Louise Difford, Zach Ellis and Mabel Pickering   

With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global    

For all PR and guest approaches please contact – [email protected]

Key Words #suicide #grief #guilt #recovery #positivity #friendship #hope #walking

Full transcript

https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/three-dads-walking-on-suicide-grief-and-finding-light-in-the-darkest-of-places/

Resilience is not just about being able to bounce-back. It’s about bouncing-forward stronger and wiser than before. It’s about realising that your pre-crisis life is now gone, but your new life – if you will it – can contain within it opportunities you may never have dreamed possible. 

From our archive I’ve brought together some fundamental lessons on resilience, distilled insights from best-selling author Kit De Waal, world-renowned broadcaster Piers Morgan, business legend and founder of AO.com John Roberts, British cyclist Mark Beaumont, train accident survivor Sarah De Lagarde and geopolitical communications strategist Mark Turnbull.  

Each of their stories are individual and unique, but shared among them is a strength not just to carry on but to squeeze the very best out of the tools and life they’ve been given. 

LESSONS YOU’LL LEARN: 

Resilience isn’t innate – it’s built. Like a muscle, it strengthens through repeated habits, training, and choosing to act in ways that rewire the brain for adaptability.

Attitude is everything. You can’t control what happens, but you can control your response.

Slow down to survive. In moments of extreme crisis, breaking situations into small, manageable steps allows you to act decisively and effectively.

Purpose drives progress. When you focus your energy on positive actions they often come back in ways you can’t predict.

Let go of fear and judgment. Stop holding yourself back because of what others think; true resilience requires authenticity and self-belief.

From complete self-destruction to resurrection. Natasha Silver Bell proves that our lowest moments can become the foundation for our greatest purpose – and that recovery isn't selfish, it's essential.

Here is Natasha's Crisis Compass.

—–-----

Host: Andy Coulson

CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering and Rex Fisher

With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global

From beauty pageants to international runways to waking up from a blackout to find her 13-month-old son eating Cheerios alone in his high chair – Natasha Silver Bell's story is one of complete self-destruction and resurrection. 

Today, she leads SilverBell Global, orchestrating some of the world's most complex recovery interventions with methods so unconventional they sometimes involve former Navy SEALs for high-stakes extractions. 

With seventeen years of sobriety and brutal honesty, Natasha proves that our lowest moments can become the foundation for our greatest purpose – and that recovery isn't selfish, it's essential.

Five lessons you'll learn:

Crisis doesn't happen overnight – it seduces you slowly until you're lighting a fuse you can't extinguish. Pay attention to the fear-based responses before the house catches fire.

The victim never recovers. You can acknowledge harm without staying stuck in it – moving through pain, not around it, is where healing happens.

Your external circumstances don't control your recovery. Real change happens from the inside out, regardless of who's around you or what they're doing.

The identified patient is often a symptom of family dysfunction. True recovery requires everyone willing to examine their part in toxic patterns.

Rock bottom can become your silver lining. Every failure teaches you something success never could.

Host: Andy Coulson

CWC Team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering, and Rex Fisher

Special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global

For PR and guest approaches: [email protected]

Twelve years after his arrest, five and a half years in prison, and countless rejected appeals, Tom Hayes finally heard the words he'd been fighting for: "Your conviction is overturned." 

In this Crisis Revisited special, the former city trader returns after the Supreme Court ruled he was innocent all along - a landmark judgment that rewrites one of Britain's most controversial financial prosecutions. From naming his newborn daughter after the Greek goddess of justice to navigating the surreal disorientation of sudden freedom, Tom reveals why he's choosing healing over anger and how winning can feel as overwhelming as losing. 

This is a masterclass in resilience from someone who refused to let bitterness define his vindication.

Five lessons you'll learn:

When everything is stripped away, all you can fall back on is who you really are. Stop trying to be bigger, stronger, or richer than you are.

Accept that some wrongs can never be made right. No apology or compensation can restore lost years. Find peace with the impossibility rather than spending your life angry about what you'll never receive.

Don't let bitterness become your prison.The most tempting human emotions are often the least healing. Choose not to be ruled by anger, even when it's completely justified.

Trauma changes you, but you choose how. Massive crises inevitably transform who you are. The question isn't whether you'll change, but whether you'll let it make you better or bitter.

Victory can be as disorienting as defeat. Take time to figure out what truly fulfills you, not what proves points to others.

Host: Andy Coulson

CWC Team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering, and Rex Fisher

Special thanks to: Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global

For PR and guest approaches: [email protected]

Wall Street titan, White House survivor, and now podcast provocateur, Anthony Scaramucci's life reads like a script with no shortage of plot twists.

Here is Anthony's Crisis Compass.

—–-----

Host: Andy Coulson

CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering and Rex Fisher

With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global

Wall Street titan, White House survivor, and now podcast provocateur, Anthony Scaramucci joins Andy Coulson for an unfiltered, useful, funny and at times emotional conversation about all things resilience. From being fired after just eleven days as Trump’s Communications Director to losing millions in the FTX crypto collapse, Anthony’s life reads like a script with no shortage of plot twists.

In this episode of Crisis What Crisis? “The Mooch” shares a high-stakes story of risk and renewal. He reflects on how missing the birth of his son, nearly losing his marriage, and facing public humiliation pushed him toward self-examination—and ultimately, transformation. Whether navigating betrayal in business or rebuilding trust at home, Anthony reveals how he’s learned to accept his own frailty, face the music and live with integrity.

With candor, wit, and surprising tenderness, Anthony talks about legacy, risk, and the art of owning your narrative when the spotlight turns savage. This is a masterclass in not just surviving a crisis; but extracting purpose and meaning from it with a healthy dose of humour. 

Five Lessons You’ll Learn:

Risk is inevitable if you're chasing a life of significance—just don't forget the cost.

Own your mistakes and forgive your own frailty—real change starts there.

Legacy is less about success and more about how you handle failure.

Humour is an underrated survival tool in any crisis.

If you live with integrity, opportunity will find you—even after scandal.

Host: Andy Coulson

CWC Team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Mabel Pickering, and Rex Fisher

Special thanks to: Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global

For PR and guest approaches: [email protected]

Tom Hayes is the city trader who spent five years in prison and who lost his wealth, reputation and home thanks to an appalling miscarriage of justice. Since his conviction in 2014, Tom has always maintained his innocence and the Supreme Court has now officially confirmed that he was, in fact, innocent.

In this emotional episode Tom explains how managed the anger and bitterness that came with the near total unravelling of his life. He also talks about how the trial brought an unexpected revelation – his Asperger’s diagnosis , which he argues played a crucial role in his actions and the case against him.

And Tom – who was initially sentenced to 14years, later reduced to 11 - talks at length about his experiences inside some of Britain’s toughest prisons and his 10year fight for justice.

This episode was first released in February.

Five Lessons You'll Learn:

Denial delays the pain but doubles the damage.

Your story’s not over unless you quit.

You lose control, you lose yourself.

Rock bottom builds harder fighters.

You can lose everything and still rebuild.

This podcast is brought to you by Crisis What Crisis? Productions and Coulson Partners 

Host: Andy Coulson    

CWC team: Jane Sankey, Hana Walker-Brown, Rex Fisher and Mabel Pickering

With special thanks to Ioana Barbu and the brilliant people at Global     

For all PR and guest approaches please contact – [email protected]